BLAIR LEE III, Acting Governor                         1877

OR BENEFIT.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act
shall take effect July 1, 1978.

Approved May 16, 1978.

CHAPTER 600

(House Bill 484)

AN ACT concerning

Agriculture - Dog and Cat Overpopulation

FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Agriculture
to provide certain services concerning dog and cat

overpopulation; and providing for an automatic

expiration date for this Act.

BY adding to

Article — Agriculture

Section 2-108

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1974 Volume and 1977 Supplement)

Preamble

WHEREAS, The Maryland Department of Agriculture
estimates that over one—half million homeless dogs and cats
are put to death in Maryland annually;

WHEREAS, The Maryland Department of Agriculture already
oversees the dispensation of the killing drug pentobarbital
to those agencies who use it to euthanize these homeless
dogs and cats; now, therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That section(s) of the Annotated Code of Maryland
be repealed, amended, or enacted to read as follows:

Article - Agriculture

2-108.

THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SHALL CONDUCT A PUBLIC
INFORMATION PROGRAM ON THE OVERPOPULATION OF DOGS AND CATS
AND RELATED PROBLEMS. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COLLECT FROM
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ANIMAL CONTROL AGENCIES AND FACILITIES
STATISTICS CONCERNING THE NUMBERS OF THESE ANIMALS AND THEIR
DISPOSAL, AND SHALL ISSUE A QUARTERLY PRESS RELEASE ON THE